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I had an employee do this - €47,000! My company turnover was around US$6m, around 25 employees at the time.The thief was Mary, a highly trusted employee, had been with the company for five years. She started in mid-level management, and was promoted for her excellent work to General Manager, salary of €90k (about US$120k in 2014). When I took long absences from work (eg, six months), she ran the company, and did well.1.5 years into Mary’s tenure, we relocated the business from Australia to the Netherlands, and Mary was instrumental to making such a complicated move work well.Three years in to her tenure, our Financial Controller was diagnosed with cancer, and after a year, succumbed to it. He left behind a bookkeeper subordinate, whose supervision passed to the Mary as General Manager.Mary did not know much about accounting, but we had a lot of procedures in place, and Mary was good at working with staff to follow procedures, and over a few months, Mary learned a lot about bookkeeping.After a year, I became aware of the mess in the accounting department. I had never liked accounting, mainly because I did not understand much of it (a big danger for any small business owner!).After I found out from our corporate accountants that the bookkeeper had booked dividend payments as director loans (and the tax return had been submitted with that fact, so it was basically irreversible), I started looking deeper into the accounting department, and it was a huge mess. Some examples;Not all items were being entered into the software. Sometimes, bulk amounts - all expenses for the first week of July, for example, were booked as one line item, €85,634 for example. *eye twich*We were using an Australian administration software (MYOB), but under Mary’s direction, we had recently purchased very expensive new accounting software. Some transactions were entered in the new software, some in the old. *shudder*We had a strict rule, one piece-of-paper for each transaction made, so we have records. That was being ignored, so there were many un-traceable transactions. Mmmm.In Holland, it’s typical for small companies to outsource payroll services to a third party, so we were doing this too, but paying twice as much, because we provided them poor data. Shit.Lots more things like this. Really bad stuff.So, I decided, with no Financial Controller, a largely incompetent bookkeeper, a General Manager who did not know much about accounting, and my long-standing ignoring of the department, that I would learn about accounting, clean up the processes to be correct, and re-enter data into one software system. This was in June 2014.The Dutch financial year was a normal calendar year, January to December (Australia is July to June, and the Dutch company is owned by the Australian company, so there’s some friction there) I decided to go back to Jan 2014, and move forward day-by-day.I tasked the bookkeeper to find a piece of paper for every transaction, on every bank statement (for various reasons, we have about 10 bank accounts) - she should have had this done already as part of her job, but had not. I made a specification of the software we’d need to suit the business. I made a very tight end-of-month process. I deleted all transactions that had been entered in the 2014 year. I got clearance from the corporate accountants to make retro-active VAT adjustments. I got some training in the software I decided to use (all online in a web browser, terrible UI, but excellent functionality, designed for the Dutch tax system).With my wife, I started doing data entry, month by month, and following the end-of-month process for each month. Around 300 transactions per month. I think I recall Peter Baskerville’s Quora posts on accounting started appearing around this time (or at least, I noticed them then), and they were very helpful. I also did many 4-hour Skype sessions with our previous Financial Controller in Australia, and she talked me through tricky things, and helped refine the processes I was documenting.It took about four weeks to process each month, especially at the start. I felt like a fine-tooth comb untangling messy hair. Slowly, we made progress, and it was very satisfying. Every so often I vented to Mary - who was focusing on other aspects of the business, while I did this - that the bookkeeper was hopeless, and was making terrible mistakes. Mary defended the bookkeeper, said it was not that bad really (it was much worse!).Being busy, I did not realise she was waving me off from proceeding my project - Mary did not realise how driven I was to see this completed up to “now”, get rid of the bookkeeper, and employ an accountant to maintain it. In hindsight, I realise that with alarming frequency since I started on this project, Mary had also been suggesting she resign to save the company money (sales were down, and we were considering other staffing cuts). I said she was essential to the running of the company, and my strong preference was for her to stay.The bookkeeper worked hard (with clear direction, often repeated) to source a piece of paper for every transaction. Sometimes, where an “official” document was not possible, I accepted printing the transaction from the internet banking software, but only for transactions I knew to be correct.One day, I found something weird, and investigated it further. Here’s the email I sent to our lawyers.Hi Joost,Today I became aware of what seems to be employee Mary stealing around €47.000 from the company in Jan and Feb 2014. This is shocking news for me, as she has been a highly trusted employee for more than five years.Attached, the supporting "evidence":(1) Filter of our bank account statement, showing all payments to Mary’s bank account - note how they are "covered" as legitimate invoices, including a VAT payment.(2) SMS messages between Mary and I last night and todayBecoming awareThe sequence of events how I found this is as follows.(1) I am working on accounting duties, since [old Financial Controller’s] passing, and "tightening up" all our accounting procedures. This involves checking off each invoice paid against a bank statement, and entries in our accounting software.(2) On Friday afternoon, 26 July 2014, I found a payment that seemed to be a double-payment on an invoice from March 2013, paid again in Feb 2014.(3) I called the supplier to understand why they gave us two invoices for the same thing almost a year apart.(4) Supplier brought my attention to the fact that the second invoice, that had been prepared for me by my bookkeeper, was a actually colour photocopy of the March 2013 invoice.He and I double checked the bank account number we had sent the payment to, and found, while the name matched his company, the account number was not his.(5) I wanted to question Mary about it directly, as she had prepared most of the paperwork I was working on, but she had left early on Friday July 26 for an appointment.(6) Around 1730 Friday 25 July, I called our Bookkeeper to my office to ask her about this invoice and payment. She said “someone” had given her the invoice in Feb 2014 saying it had not been paid, and was well overdue, that it must be paid immediately. I questioned her on who specifically, she said maybe Mark or Anthony (the invoice is for antivirus software, so logically would come from our IT person, James).I asked her to look into it on Monday, that we'd like to get our money back, she agreed.(7) At 2226 Friday evening, I received a text message from Mary (very unusually late for her to message regarding what I thought was a routine error), asking to meet at the office on Saturday morning to discuss the invoice. Being so late, I chose not to reply, thinking we'd just discuss it on Monday.It seems the bookkeeper had contacted Mary about the invoice which is VERY unusual - I presented it to the bookkeeper as a routine matter (we had uncovered a lot of similar errors, that turned out not to be suspicious over the last few months, and I assumed this was a similar issue).(8) Saturday afternoon, I chose to reply to Mary's text message, saying that I was at work until 1600, she's welcome to come in to chat (she often does come in to work on Saturday afternoons).(9) Mary wrote back a convoluted message, saying she was not able to come in to work, that the invoice was part of a test payment, and that it was not meant to be authorised, that it was accidentally authorised by Anthony (who was in Australia at the time), it's not the bookkeeper’s mistake it's Mary's, and that I can "fire her on Monday" (presumably joking, as she often does in text messages).(10) I said that we need to know which account it went to, so we can get our money back. Mary agreed, and said she would look into it Monday, that she was sorry, said she felt bad for stressing out the bookkeeper.(11) At this stage I started having suspicions - the last four digits of the bank account seemed familiar to me, though I could not recall why? I asked her directly - by SMS - if she knew which bank account it was transferred to.(12) Mary responded "Yes I think so, I need to check the account". I did not respond.(13) I found Mary's personal bank account number (that we use for monthly salary payments), and saw that it matched the account number the funds had been sent to (despite the payee's name on the transaction being the supplier, the name on the duplicated invoice).(14) I spoke about the matter with my wife. It seemed that:- The Bookkeeper knew about the payment to Mary's personal account, and contacted Mary immediately on Friday evening- If this really was part of a training exercise, it's pretty weird - an invoice from March 2013, used as a test in Feb 2014, photocopied, entered again into the accounting software, paid to Mary's personal bank account, not transferred back to the company.- Mary “did not notice” the additional deposit to her bank account- The bookkeeper, who prepared some of the paperwork, did not recall this was a "test" transaction that accidentally went through- A training exercise could easily be done with REAL invoices that ACTUALLY had to be paid, no need to use one from 2013.(15) I decided to call a friend in Australia, a fellow employer and mentor. We discussed the issue, and we agreed it did not look good - the employee had clearly deliberately stolen money.(16) My friend suggested I look for any OTHER transfers to her personal account - I had not thought of that possibility yet!A search for Mary's bank account number returned a total of three transactions - the one I had just found, another one for €33k for the Tax office on 14 Jan 2014, and another duplicated invoice from Dec 2013 (9 Jan 2014, though for a different amount) - all paid to her personal bank account. There is no evidence of the payments being returned. The total is €47.749.32.(17) I searched for other employees bank accounts, and found no other suspicious transactions, though there is room for more advanced searching.Please advise how I should proceed.gI located the pieces of paper the bookkeeper had been presented (in a sheaf of 200 other docs). Here’s what one looked like, I have omitted some personal data and added to reference points, (1) and (2):Note at point (1), the invoice is dated March 8, 2013, but payment was made on Feb 2014 (Payment was also made in mid-March, 2013)! Mary had made a photocopy of the original invoice, but at point (2), had covered the bank details for KNS in the footer. We later found, she had destroyed the original invoice. When I sent this to our contact at KNS, he was pretty surprised to see this invoice with his logo, but his bank account details removed. Fair enough, too!On Monday morning, per advice from our lawyer, I met with Mary. Here are my notes from that difficult meeting.0915am, Jul 28, Garion met with Mary, with [Garion's wife] present;* I asked about the KNS transaction, Mary advised it was a trainingexercise, as she had texted to Garion on Saturday* She had not done payment transfers before, so did this as a test with[bookkeeper], before [bookkeeper] went on leave. Not intended to beapproved, but seems it was anyway.* Mary checked on in the last few days, and found that the KNS amount was inher account, she had missed it when it occured* I asked specifically, she said she was not aware of any other transactionsto her account* The KNS invoice was used in this training as it was assumed to be unpaid,was in a "random" folder on Steve's desk.* Not aware of any other transactions to her bank account, apart from this oneI asked her to look, and let me know. She said she would.* Mary said that it must look like she had been stealing money, but that'snot the case!* Mary said that if she were in our position, she'd fire the person* I said that it did looks suspicious. So, I have to place her onadministrative leave, effective immediately. She must not talk to any staff.She can collect her personal items from her desk now, and I will escort herto the elevator.* I asked if she had any questions, or any other ideas about where the moneyis. She asked what "administrative leave" was, I said, it's "gardeningleave" - she gets paid, but does not work.* We left my office to go downstairs. She did not say anything during thewalk.* She quickly gathered her personal items on her desk, logged into hercomputer (to log out of her gmail, I think?). Other staff were arriving, butshe made no comments. I engaged them in casual conversation.* I walked Mary to the elevator, and said that I'd contact her as soon as Iknew what was going on. She seemed to be in shock.--End.Directly after she left, I followed up with an email to Mary:Mary,Have you had a chance to check your bank account for the amounts we discussed?(1) 09 Jan 2014 €8.682,57(2) 14 Jan 2014 €33.773,00(3) 14 Feb 2014 €5.293,75Perhaps there are also other amounts that we have not found yet.If the money is there, you could transfer it back to [company bank account number]. If the money is not there, perhaps you could supply a PDF that indicates same? (between Jan 5 2014 and Feb 28 2014).Can you please get back to me in the next hour and let me know?ThanksgAndg, here’s the email I sent to the lawyer to keep him updated:Hi Joost,As discussed, at 11.10am today I emailed Mary and asked her to return the funds if she had found them, or provide a PDF of her bank statement if for the relevant period if not. I asked her to get back to in within an hour, 1.5 hours ago now, 12.45pm.I spoke again with ING Bank who confirmed the payments were deposited into the listed account (however, mainly because the amounts did not bounce back). They can do an investigation that will involve ING bank sending a letter to the account holder asking them to return the "accidentally" transferred money, and provide us with the recipient's contact details in case they do not comply. I said not to bother about that. He suggested I contact the police.[My wife] worked with our bookkeeper, who also does the filing, to find the original KNS invoice from March 2013, and it was not in the expected place, or any logical mis-filing places (eg, under "K" for a different company we operate). So, it's possible it has been maliciously removed… or just poorly filed somewhere.I Skpyed with Anthony to see if he was aware of the payments. He was in Australia and USA at the time of transfers. He said that he probably approved at least one of them, possibly all of them (which was part of his job at the time). He was not provided with the PDF invoices for each approval (as our company process dictates), but was swayed by Mary's argument that the payments were urgent, and that she'd send the invoices later (turns out, she never did, and he forgot to ask). However, he also recalled some payment approvals around the same time he was provided with invoices for (possibly, the legit ones).He admitted that, when approving payments, while he checks the invoice for the company name, amount and currency when approving, he does not check the bank account numbers or dates on invoices (honestly, I do not either!). Overall, I believe it's unlikely Anthony was involved, other than as an unwitting participant.After discussing with the bookkeeper - a sub-standard employee at the best of times - my wife and I believe she is also not involved, other than, again, an unwitting participant. [The bookkeeper] definitely loaded some of the payments into the ING bank, but they were invoices that appeared legitimate to her. Frankly, we do not think she is smart or brave enough to do this, but there seems no way to prove it either way.I'd like to wait another few hours for Mary to respond, I'll SMS her asking to respond to my email, if no response I will call and remind her that it a criminal matter. If she does not respond favourably, I'd like to move ahead with the seizure approach you outlined.regards,gTwo hours later, I got an email from Mary, on July 28:GarionI did take the three amounts you listed below (total €47.749,32). I acted alone, no one else was involved.I have transferred €5.293,75 to [company bank account number].I will transfer another €15K during the week. I suggest you keep any annual leave (I think about 20 days) that would be paid out as part payment.I will need some time to raise the other €20K, when I am back in Australia, but can commit to having it paid back to you by the end of the year or sooner, if this is agreeable to you.I am very sorry.MaryTurns out, she was also in a romantic relationship with another employee, a web developer. A stoic and quiet man, incredibly competent, lead architect for our various software projects. He was scheduled for a day off on Monday (which I forgot at the time, and which had me scared for a while on Monday when all this was going down!).The next day, he was in my office crying, incredibly upset at what his partner had done. He resigned a few months later - Mary had moved back to Australia, and he went as well. I suspect they are still together, but I have not asked. He’s done some contract work for us as well. I am sure he was not involved.Mary did pay all the money back, six months later. I did not go to the police, but in hindsight, I wish I had.Now, I check every transaction made, and always check the bank account numbers match the invoice. The new accountant also provides detailed end-of-month reports, meaning there are many checks-and-balances built in to the processes. I have learnt a lot about bookkeeping, accounting, and higher-level finance matters. It was incredibly stressful at the time, but I’m glad I learnt about accounting.Another employee approves payments regularly now, too. I trust her.Trust, but verify, right?[All names changed]

Once you have great employees on board, how do you keep them from jumping ship? One way is by offering a good benefits package.Many small-business owners mistakenly believe they cannot afford to offer benefits. But while going without benefits may boost your bottom line in the short run, than penny-wise philosophy could strangle your business's chances for long-term prosperity. "There are certain benefits good employees feel they must have," says Ray Silverstein, founder of PRO, President's Resource Organization, a small-business advisory network.Heading the list of must-have benefits is medical insurance, but many job applicants also demand a retirement plan, disability insurance and more. Tell these applicants no benefits are offered, and often top-flight candidates will head for the door.The positive side to this coin: Offer the right benefit, and your business may just jump-start its growth. "Give employees the benefits they value, and they'll be more satisfied, miss fewer workdays, be less likely to quit, and have higher commitment to meeting the company's goals," says Joe Lineberry, a senior vice president at Aon Consulting, a human resources consulting firm. "The research shows that when employees feel their benefits needs are satisfied, they're more productive."Benefit BasicsThe law requires employers to provide employees with certain benefits. You must:Give employees time off to vote, serve on a jury and perform military service.Comply with all workers' compensation requirements.Withhold FICA taxes from employees' paychecks and pay your own portion of FICA taxes, providing employees with retirement and disability benefits.Pay state and federal unemployment taxes, thus providing benefits for unemployed workers.Contribute to state short-term disability programs in states where such programs exist.Comply with the Federal Family and Medical Leave (FMLA).You are not required to provide:Retirement plansHealth plans (except in Hawaii)Dental or vision plansLife insurance plansPaid vacations, holidays or sick leaveIn reality, however, most companies offer some or all of these benefits to stay competitive.Most employers provide paid holidays for New Year's, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day and Thanksgiving day and Christmas day. Many employers also either allow their employees to take time off without pay or let them use vacation days for religious holidays. (See more on time off in "The Low-Cost Benefits of Offering Time Off").Most full-time employees will expect one to two weeks paid vacation time per year. In explaining your vacation policy to employees, specify how far in advance requests for vacation time should be made, and whether in writing or verbally. There are no laws that require employers to provide funeral leave, but most do allow two to four days' leave for deaths of close family members.The federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires employers to give workers up to 12 weeks off to attend to the birth or adoption of a baby, or the serious health condition of the employee or an immediate family member. After 12 weeks of unpaid leave, you must reinstate the employee in the same job or an equivalent one. The 12 weeks of leave does not have to be taken all at once; in some cases, employees can take it a day at a time.In most states, only employers with 50 or more employees are subject to the Family and Medical Leave Act. However, some states have family leave laws that place family leave requirements on businesses with as few as five employees. To find out your state's requirements, contact you state labor department.Legal MattersComplications quickly arise as soon as business begins offering benefits, however. That's because key benefits such as Health Insurance and retirement plans fall under government scrutiny, and "it is very easy to make mistakes in setting up a benefits plan," says Kathleen Meagher, an attorney specializing in benefits at Kirkpatrick Lockhart LLP.And don't think nobody will notice. The IRS can discover in an audit what you are doing doesn't comply with regulations. So can the U.S. Department of Labor, which has been beefing up its audit activities of late. Either way, a goof can be very expensive. "You can lose any tax benefits you have enjoyed, retroactively, and penalties can also be imposed," Meagher says.The biggest mistake? Leaving employees out of the plan. Examples range from exclusions of part-timers to failing to extend benefits to clerical and custodial staff. A rule of thumb is that if one employee gets a tax-advantaged benefit--meaning one paid for with pretax dollars--the same benefit must be extended to everyone. There are loopholes that may allow you to exclude some workers, but don't even think about trying this without expert advice.Such complexities mean its good advice never to go this route alone. You can cut costs by doing preliminary research yourself, but before setting up any benefits plan, consult a lawyer or a benefits consultant. An upfront investment of perhaps $1,000 could save you far more money down the road by helping you sidestep expensive potholes.Expensive ErrorsProviding benefits that meet employee needs and mesh with all the laws isn't cheap--benefits probably add 30 to 40 percent to base pay for most employees--and that makes it crucial to get the most from these dollars. But this is exactly where many small businesses fall short because often their approach to benefits is riddled with costly errors that can get them in financial trouble with their insurers or even with their own employees. The most common mistakes:Absorbing the entire cost of employee benefits. Fewer companies are footing the whole benefits bill these days. According to a survey of California companies by human resources management consulting firm William M. Mercer, 91 percent of employers require employee contributions toward health insurance, while 92 percent require employees to contribute toward the cost of insuring dependants. The size of employee contributions varies from a few dollars per pay period to several hundred dollars monthly, but one plus of any co-payment plan is it eliminates employees who don't need coverage. Many employees are covered under other policies--a parent's or spouses, for instance--and if you offer insurance for free, they'll take it. But even small co-pay requirements will persuade many to skip it, saving you money.Covering nonemployers. Who would do this? Lots of business owners want to buy group-rate coverage for their relatives or friends. The trouble: If there is a large claim, the insurer may want to investigate. And that investigation could result in disallowance of the claims, even cancellation of the whole policy. Whenever you want to cover somebody who might not qualify for the plan, tell the insurer or your benefits consultant the truth.Sloppy paperwork. In small businesses, administering benefits is often assigned to an employee who wears 12 other hats. This employee really isn't familiar with the technicalities and misses a lot of important details. A common goof: Not enrolling new employees in plans during the open enrollment period. Most plans provide a fixed time period for open enrollment. Bringing an employee in later requires proof of insurability. Expensive litigation is sometimes the result. Make sure the employees overseeing this task stays current with the paperwork and knows that doing so is a top priority.Not telling employees what their benefits cost. "Most employees don't appreciate their benefits, but that's because nobody ever tells them what the costs are," says PRO's Silverstein. Many experts suggest you annually provide employees with a benefits statement that spells out what they're getting and at what cost. A simple rundown of the employee's individual benefits and what they cost the business is very powerful.Giving unwanted benefits. A workforce composed largely of young, single people doesn't need life insurance. How to know what benefits employee's value? You can survey employees and have them rank benefits in terms of desirability. Typically, medical and financial benefits, such as retirement plans, appeal to the broadest cross-section of workers.If workers needs vary widely, consider the increasingly popular " cafeteria plans ," which give workers lengthy lists of possible benefits plus a fixed amount to spend.Health InsuranceHealth insurance is one of the most desirable benefits you can offer employees. There are several basic options for setting up a plan:A traditional indemnity plan, or fee for service. Employees choose their medical care provider; the insurance company either pays the provider directly or reimburses employees for covered amounts.Managed care. The two most common forms of managed care are the Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) and the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). An HMO is essentially a prepaid health-care arrangement, where employees must use doctors employed by or under contract to the HMO and hospitals approved by the HMO. Under a PPO, the insurance company negotiates discounts with the physicians and the hospitals. Employees choose doctors from an approved list, then usually pay a set amount per office visit (typically $10 to $25); the insurance company pays the rest.Self insurance. When you absorb all or a significant portion of a risk, you are essentially self-insuring. An outside company usually handles the paperwork, you pay the claims and sometimes employees help pay premiums. The benefits include greater control of the plan design, customized reporting procedures and cash-flow advantages. The drawback is that you are liable for claims, but you can limit liability with "stop loss" insurance--if a claim exceeds a certain dollar amount, the insurance company pays it.Archer Medical Savings Account. : Under this program, an employee of a small employer (50 or fewer employees) or a self-employed person can set up an Archer MSA to help pay health-care expenses. The accounts are set up with a U.S. financial institution and allow you to save money exclusively for medical expenses. When used in conjunction with a high-deductible insurance policy, accounts are funded with employee's pretax dollars. Under the Archer MSA program, disbursements are tax-free if used for approved medical expenses. Unused funds in the account can accumulate indefinitely and earn tax-free interest. Health-savings accounts (HSAs), available as of January 2004, are similar to MSAs but are not restricted to small employers.Cost ContainmentThe rising costs of health insurance have forced some small businesses to cut back on the benefits they offer. Carriers that write policies for small businesses tend to charge very high premiums. Often, they demand extensive medical information about each employee. If anyone in the group has a pre-existing condition, the carrier may refuse to write a policy. Or, if someone in the company becomes seriously ill, the carrier may cancel the policy the next time it comes up for renewal.Further complicating manners, some states are mandating certain health-care benefits so that if an employer offers a plan at all, it has to include certain types of coverage. Employers who can't afford to comply often have to cut out insurance altogether. The good news: Many states are tying to ease the burden by passing laws that make it easier for small businesses to get health insurance and that prohibit insurance carriers from discriminating against small firms. (MSAs, described above, are in part a response to the problems small businesses face.) The following states make some special provision concerning small employers and health insurance: California, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Wyoming.Until more laws are passed, what can a small business do? There are ways to cut costs without cutting into your employees' insurance plan. A growing number of small businesses band together with other entrepreneurs to enjoy economies of scale and gain more clout with insurance carriers.Many trade associations offer health insurance plans for small-business owners and their employees at lower rates. Your business may have only five employees, but united with the other, say, 9,000 association members and their 65,000 employees, you have substantial clout. The carrier issues a policy to the whole association; your business's coverage cannot be terminated unless the carrier cancels the entire association.Associations are able to negotiate lower rates and improved coverage because the carrier doesn't want to lose such a big chunk of business. This way, even the smallest one-person company can choose from the same menu of health-care options that big companies enjoy.Associations aren't the only route to take. In some states, business owners or groups have set up health-insurance networks among businesses that have nothing in common but their size and their location. Check with your local chamber of commerce to find out about such programs in your area.Some people have been ripped off by unscrupulous organizations supposedly peddling "group" insurance plans at prices 20 to 40 percent below the going rate. The problem: These plans don't pay all policyholders' claims because they're not backed by sufficient cash reserves. Such plans often have lofty-sounding names that suggest a larger association of smaller employees.How to protect yourself from a scam? Here are some tips:Compare prices. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Ask for references from other companies that have bought from the plan. How quick was the insurer in paying claims? How long has the reference dealt with the insurer? If it's less than a few months, that's not a good sign.Check the plan's underwriter. The underwriter is the actual insurer. Many scam plans claim to be administrators for underwriters that really have nothing to do with them. Call the underwriter's headquarters and the insurance department of the state in which it's registered to see if it' really affiliated with the plan. To check the underwriter's integrity, ask you state's department for its "A.M. Best" rating, which grades companies according to their ability to pay claims. Also ask for its "claim-paying ability rating", which is monitored by services like Standard and Poor's. If the company is too new to be rated, be wary.Make sure the company follows state regulations. Does the company claim it's exempt? Check with your state's insurance department .Ask the agent or administrator to show you what his or her commission, advance or administrative cost structure is. Overly generous commissions can be a tip-off; some scam operations pay agents up to 500 percent commission.Get help. Ask other business owners if they've dealt with the company. Contact the Better Business Bureau to see if there are any outstanding complaints. If you think you're dealing with a questionable company, contact your state insurance department or your nearest Labor Department Office of Investigations.Above and BeyondWhat does COBRA mean to you? No, it's not a poisonous snake coming back to bite you in the butt. The Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) extends health-insurance coverage to employees and dependents beyond the point at which such coverage traditionally ceases.COBRA allows a former employee after he or she has quit or been terminated (except for gross misconduct) the right to continued coverage under you group health for up to 18 months. Employee's spouses can obtain COBRA coverage for up to 36 months after divorce or death of the employee, and children can receive up to 36 months of coverage when they reach the age at which they are no longer classified as dependents under the group health plan.The good news: Giving COBRA benefits shouldn't cost you company a penny. Employers are permitted by law to charge recipients 102 percent of the cost of extending the benefits (the extra two percent covers administrative costs).The federal COBRA plan applies to all companies with more than 20 employees. However, many states have similar laws that pertain to much smaller companies, so even if your company is exempt for federal insurance laws, you may still have to extend benefits under certain circumstances. Contact the U.S. Department of Labor to determine whether your company must offer COBRA or similar benefits, and the rules for doing so.Retirement PlansA big mistake some business owners make is thinking they can't afford to fund a retirement plan in lieu of putting profits back into the business. But less than half of the employees at small companies participate in retirement plans. And companies that do offer this benefit report increased employee retention and happier, more efficient workers. Also, don't forget about yourself: Many business owners are at risk of having insufficient funds saved for retirement.To encourage more businesses to launch retirement plans, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 provides a tax credit for costs associated with starting a retirement plan, including a 401(k) plan, SIMPLE plan or Simplified Employee Pension (SEP). The credit equals 50 percent of the first $1,000 of qualified startup costs, including expenses to set up and administer the plan and educate employees about it. For more information, see IRS Form 8881, Credit for Small Employers Pension Plan Start-up Costs(PDF).Don't ignore the value of investing early. If, starting at age 35, you invested $3,000 each year with a 14-percent annual return; you would have an annual retirement income of nearly $60,000 at age 65. But $5,000 invested at the same rate of return beginning at age 45 only results in $30,700 in annual retirement income. The benefit of retirement plans is that savings from tax-free until you withdraw the funds--typically age 59. If you withdraw funds before that age, the withdrawn amount is fully taxable and also subject to a 10-percent penalty. The value of tax-free investing over time means it's best to start right away, even if you start with small increments.Besides the long-term benefit of providing for your future, setting up a retirement plan also has the immediate gratification of cutting taxesHere is a closer look at a range of retirement plans for yourself and your employees.Individual Retirement Account (IRA)An IRA is a tax-qualified retirement savings plan available to anyone who works and/or their spouse, whether the individual is an employee or a self-employed person. One of the biggest advantages of these plans is that the earnings on your IRA grow on a tax-deferred basis until you start withdrawing the funds. Whether your contribution to an IRA is deductible will depend on your income level and whether you're covered by another retirement plan at work.You also may want to consider a Roth IRA. While contributions are not tax deductible, withdrawals you make at retirement will not be taxed. The maximum annual contribution individuals can put in either a Roth or a traditional IRA is $3,000 for 2004, assuming they meet the eligibility requirements.To qualify for Roth IRA contributions, a single person's adjusted gross income (AGI) must be less than $95,000, with benefits phasing out completely at $110,000. For married couples filing jointly, the AGI must be less than $150,000. The contribution amount is decreased by 30 percent (35 percent if 50 or older) until it is eliminated completely at $160,000 for joint filers. For 2005 to 2007, the contribution limit for both single and joint filers climbs to $4,000 per person and to $5,000 per person in 2008. After that, contributions and indexed to inflation.Regardless of income level, you can qualify for a deductible IRA as long as you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401 (k). If you are in an employer plan, you can qualify for a deductible IRA if you meet the income requirements. Keep in mind that it's possible to set up or make annual contributions to an IRA any time you want up to the date your federal income tax return is due for that year, not including extensions. The contribution amounts for deductible IRA's are the same as for Roth IRA's.For joint filers, even if one spouse is covered by a retirement plan, the spouse who is not covered by a plan may make a deductible IRA contribution if the couple's adjusted gross income is $150,000 or less. Like the Roth IRA, the amount you can deduct is decreased in stages above that income level and is eliminated entirely for couples with incomes over 160,000. Nonworking spouses and their working partners can contribute up to $6,000 to IRAs ($3,000 each), provided the working spouse earns at least $6,000. It's possible to contribute an additional $500 for each spouse who is at least 50 years old at the end of the year, as long as there is the necessary earned income. For example, two spouses over 50 could contribute a total of $7,000 if there is at least $7,000 of earned income.Saving Incentive Match Plan For Employees (SIMPLE)SIMPLE plans are one of the most attractive options available for small-business owners. With these plans, you can choose to use a 401(k) or an IRA as your retirement plan.A SIMPLE plan is just that--simple to administer. This type of retirement plan doesn't come with a lot of paperwork and reporting requirements.You can set up a SIMPLE IRA only if you have 100 or fewer employees who have received $5,000 or more in compensation from you in the preceding year. The employer must make contributions the plan by either matching each participating employee's contribution, dollar for dollar, up to 3 percent of each employee's pay, or by making an across-the-board 2-percent contribution for all employees, even if they don't participate in the plan, which can be expensive.The maximum amount each employee can contribute to the plan can't be more than $9,000 for 2004; the amount increases to $10,000 in 2005. After that, the amount will be indexed for inflation. Participants in a SIMPLE IRA who are age 50 or over at the end of the calendar year can also make a catch-up contribution of an additional $1,500 in 2004, $2,000 in 2005 and $2,500 in 2006.Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) PlanAs its name implies, this is the simplest type of retirement plan available. Essentially, a SEP is a glorified IRA that allows you to contribute a set percentage up to a maximum amount each year. Paperwork is minimal, and you don't have to contribute every year. And regardless of the name, you don't need employees to set one up.If you do have employees(well, that's the catch. Employees do not make any contributions to SEPS. Employers must pay the full cost of the plan, and whatever percentage you contribute for yourself must be applied to al eligible employees. The maximum contribution is 25 percent of an employee's compensation (up to a maximum of $200,000) or $40,000, whichever is less.KOEGH PlanA KEOGH retirement plan can be set up by self-employed individuals and doesn't require advanced IRS approval. There are two types of KEOGH plans available. One is defined-benefit, which allows participants to contribute a maximum of the lesser of either 100 percent of their average compensation for the three consecutive years of highest compensation as an active participant, or $170,000. Then there's defined contribution, which allows for contributions of up to $42,000 for either a profit-sharing defined contribution plan or a money-purchase plan. The deadline for setting up a KEOGH plan is the end of the tax year (December 31), and the deadline for making contributions to the KEOGH plan is the same as the SEP--the due date for your Form 1040 individual tax return (including extensions). 401(k) Plans401(k) plans take their name from the section of the federal tax code that provides for them. These plans let you and your employees set aside a percentage of salary tax-free every year. As a kicker, the funds grow tax-free until they're withdrawn. 401(k) plans are very popular benefits with employees because they allow you--the employer--to essentially pay workers more without that income being taxed. Compared to SEPs, 401(k) plans are more popular with employers because most of the contribution comes from the employees.The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) governs the way 401(k) plans are set up and managed. There are many responsibilities that go with setting up a 401(k) program. For instance, you or someone you select has to determine the investment options employees will get to choose from. You have to monitor the investment's performance as well as the service provided by whomever is administering your plan. ERISA exists to make sure any fees that are charged are "reasonable." Setting up a 401(k) is a complicated procedure governed by many arcane rules. You should never do it without consulting with a qualified tax advisor.Where to GoWith so many choices available, it's good idea to talk to your accountant about which type of plan is best for you. Once you know what you want, where do you go to set up a retirement plan?Savings certificates (often at higher yields than at banks or savings and loans)Personal and auto loansLines of creditChecking accountsChristmas club accountsOnly state-chartered credit unions are allowed to add new companies to their membership rosters. To find a credit union that will accept your company, call your state's league of credit unions .When comparing credit unions, get references and check them. Find out how communicative and flexible the credit union is. Examine the accessibility. Are there ATMs? Is there a location near your business? Consider the end users--your employees.Once your company is approved, designate one person to be the primary liaison with the credit union. That person will maintain information about memberships as well as enrollment forms and loan applications. Kick things off by asking accredit union representative to conduct on-site enrollment and perhaps return periodically for follow-up or new sign-ups.This how-to was excerpted from Start Your Own Business, Grow Your Business and "Selecting the Right Retirement Plan" by David Meier.

For project managementProofHub: ProofHub makes it easier to share and discuss ideas across the entire team. With ProofHub you can access all your files stores across multiple platforms in one place. It serves as a simple business management software with task management features.Top features:Assigned user rolesOnline team discussionsGantt chartsSharing and saving filesTask dependencies and delegatingReporting and tracking projectsPricing: Free 30 day trial, ultimate control plan is for $135 per month billed annually and $150 billed monthly for unlimited projects, unlimited users and 100 GB storage. Essential plan $45 per month billed annually and $50 billed monthly will manage up to 40 projects, unlimited users and 15 GB storage.For communication2. Skype (Lets you connect your way) : Skype is an instant messaging and calling app and a popular communication tool. It is free for all and allows audio and video calls between multiple devices like one on laptop and the other on phone.Top features:Video chatMessagingConference callsChat groups for various teamsFile sharingNotifications based on mentionsPricing: Free (Up to 25 people on group audio calls), Skype for Business from $1.9 user/month3. Google hangouts (Conversations that comes to life) : Hangouts will enable real-life conversations and for those who are running their business on a budget, Google’s Hangouts might be the tool for them.Top features:Group conversationsInstant messagingHangout On AirIntegration with other Google applicationsCustom Control for AdminsBuilt-in screen sharingAuto screen focusHD video callsCompatible with multiple devicesPricing: Free for all users.4. HipChat (Great teams use HipChat): HipChat is designed for business team communication and is a private hosted chat service helping teams to collaborate more efficiently. The business owner can set a group chat with team and review it any time. This will also avoid any miscommunication and redundancies. Hipchat saves the conversation for convenience of users so that you and your team can upload and collaborate on documents and tasks. It is one of the few that is intended strictly for business use.Top features:Easy Screen SharingSecure Guest AccessDrag and Drop File SharingUnlimited Chat RoomsFull CustomizationFully SearchableSynchronization Access Devices and AppSearchable HistoryPricing: HipChat Basic — Free and offers 5GB file storage and unlimited integrations and HipChat Plus — $2/user/month offers unlimited file storage.Design tools5. Viewflux (Better designs): View Another tool designed for small businesses and freelancers, Viewflux allows you to see all of your projects in one place.Viewflux provides visual feedback from colleagues and clients as well as version control so that all stakeholders are on the same page throughout the design and prototyping process.Top features:Sync your projects with DropboxReal-time collaborationProject archiveUpload PSD and PDF files to your projects*Pricing: You can start with a FREE plan, $59 per month for 15 Team Members, Unlimited Projects, Assets Delivery and Custom Branding.6. Photoshop (Create anything you can imagine) : The core of almost every creative project is best imaging and design app. Photoshop will help to work across desktops and mobile devices to create and enhance your photographs, 3D artwork, videos, web and mobile app designs and many more.Top features:Complex object selection made fastAdvanced color pickerGeneral technologySmart sharpenSave to cloudExtended features includedBetter 3D toolsImproved type stylesColor import from web filesPricing: For basic users FREE version is available and creative cloud plan at $52.45/mo (excl. tax) will give you access to 29 desktop apps and 10 mobile apps and 10 services and other useful features.7. Canva (The simplest graphic design tool you’ll ever use) : Canva is the tool of your dream if you do not want to hire a graphic designer but do not want your social media posts to look like crap. Canva is a simple graphic design tool for non-designers to make visual content look decent.Top features:Photo straightenerImage cropperAdd text to photosSpeech bubble makerTransparency toolPhoto enhancerPhoto blurPhoto vignetteDesign gridsFree icons and Photo framesBadges, sticked and web wireframePricing: It is FREE for all with simple drag and drop editor and Canva for Work is at $9.95 per month when paid annually or $12.95 per user / month.Pro Tip: Proofing tool of ProofHub is packed with powerful features to proof your file and achieve zero defects. Proof better and review faster with proofing tool to save your time and effort for reviewal and approval process.Documentation tools8. Google Docs (Create impactful documents): Google docs is a free web-based application that will bring your documents to life with editing and styling tool to format texts and paragraphs. It offers hundreds of fonts, add links, images and drawings.Top features:Perfect templatesEveryone can work on the document at the same timeNavigation sidebarClear formattingResearch toolSuggesting modeCommentsFootnotesVoice typingImage editingPricing: It offers all its features for free and for a higher usage it costs $1.99 per month for 100GB storage and $9.99 per month for 1TB storage.9. Office online ( Office delivers the tools you need): With office online you will be able to collaborate while working on documents and save your documents in Onedrive. It is a Microsoft product and you will be able to easily use your abundance of MS office files.Top featuresAdd fluid motion to your presentationsAutomated designsZoom in and zoom out during presentationsResearcher and editor for workAdvance proofing capabilitiesAdvanced collaborationsPricing: Free for all usersFor social media managing10.Storify (Create best stories) : Storify provides social network services that will let the users create stories or timeline using social media like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. It will also unite traditional stories with engaged audiences.Top featuresExport stories as PDFsConnect Facebook pages to profilesLive bloggingSEO full compatibilityCustomizable story displaySecure links for content protectionAd-free storiesPricing: Free trial available11. Mailshake ( A simple solution for cold emails): With mailshake you can promote your content, build relationships and generate leads. It has a collection of pre-written messages that you can select from for content promotion.Top features:Automatic follow-upsBuilt for teamsCalendars for sending controlsPersonalizationPricing: $9 per month, per user12. Buffer( A better way to share on social media): By using buffer you can easily manage your social media content. You can share any page you are reading across today’s well-known social media sites. Buffer will let you connect to all social media accounts while making it easier to create and schedule posts.Top features:Multiple posts and tweetsSocial profile sharingProfile managementMulti-media format sharingCustomized schedulingStandard bufferingPricing: You can select the best plan for your business. Individual — free, Awesome — $14/month, Small — $99/month, Medium — $199/month, Large — $399/month13. Hootsuite (Manage all your social media in one place): Hootsuite will empower your business to execute amazing social media strategies. With Hootsuite, you can post updates, connect with your client base, and review responses on more than 35 popular social networks.Top features:Manage multiple contributorsMeasure your social ROIUpdate multiple networks in one stepOptimize deliverySocial Analytics reportsPricing: Pricing plans vary according to your business. One basic plan is free that offers up to 3 social profiles and Pro: from $8.99/month.Organizational tools14. Pocket( Save your files to view later) : With pocket you can save interesting articles, videos and more from web to view them later. The list of content that you want to save can be viewed on any device.Top features:Undo Save from Browser ExtensionDelete an item while it’s open on iOSTag while in Tile View on WebLimit Offline Storage on AndroidRead a Random Article on iOSSearch for and Discover New Articles and Videos by TopicPricing: Free for basic users and pocket premium for upgraded features is available at $44.99 per year.15. Evernote(File and MEMO syncing): Evernote tool makes it possible to share your ideas with a large team. The teams can contribute their best ideas in seconds and the huge virtual whiteboard that lets everyone contribute their ideas and knowledge.Top features:Collect, save, and share documentsSearch inside PDFs and Word docs without opening themPresentation modeIdea boardsPricing: Basic version is FREE for users, plus plan is available at $13.218 per year, premium plan at $23.326 per year and business plan at $12 per user per month.16. Todoist( Accomplish more everyday): It is a powerful task manager for business productivity and lets the user manage tasks from an inbox, browser, desktop or mobile device. This tool will customize your experience, organize your tasks and projects and optimize your productivity.Top features:Access tasks everywhereCollaborate on shared tasksDistraction free designPowerful recurring datesVisualize your productivityPricing: Todoist basic is free, Todoist premium for individuals is at $28.99 per year and Todoist business for teams is at $28.99 per user per year.Finance tools17. FreshBooks (Make billing painless): FreshBooks will provide you with tools for invoicing, expense tracking and time management to make your accounting job easier and less intimidating. You can automate most of your billing activities and have more time for projects and meetings.Top features:Time tracking and billing for workAutomatically importing and categorizing expenses from bank accounts and credit cardsUpload and share filesTrack spending with expense reportsReports on received payments and billing historyGet feedback from your team by keeping track of projects progressPricing: If you don’t have many clients you can continue to use it for FREE and for more clients you can use seedling plan at $19.95 per month,evergreen plan $29.95/month (bill up to 200 clients), Mighty Oak plan $39.95/month (bill an unlimited number of clients)18. Xero(Online accounting software for small business): Xero is designed to meet the requirements of small business and considered as the useful asset for managing financial activities.Top features:Unlimited users and 24/7 supportEasy invoicingGo mobileInventoryAttach files to dataPay billsCreate purchase orders500+ third party appsPricing:You can try Xero FREE for 30 days. Paid plans include: Starter — $20/month, standard- $30/month and premium — $40/month.Copywriting19. Grammarly (A grammar check for proofreading articles): Grammarly is a tool that will help writers to expand their vocabulary, write better, check for grammar, spelling and punctuation much faster.Top features:Identify confused prepositionsIdentify overuse of the passive voiceDetect wordy sentencesHighly repetitive wordsIdentify spelling errorsPricing: You can install grammarly’s free browser extension for chrome, safari and firefox and premium version is available via a subscription that will cost you $29 per month.20. Hemingway( Make your writing bold and clear): Hemingway will help you fix potential problems in your writing and you can download it to PC or MAC computer. It is a terrific tool for on-demand writing with tight deadlines to make your writing clear.Top features:Highlights complex words or phrasesIdentify extra long sentencesIdentify too many adverbsFormat your prosePricing: You can buy Hemingway for Mac OS X or windows at $19.99For data analysis21. Landing page grader by Leadpages (how effective is your landing page): To turn all your pages into high converting landing pages. When it comes to landing page optimization, it should be good enough as it will decide your quality scores as well as ROI.Top features:It will provide full report of:SEOAnalyticsMobile responsivenessLinksSpeedFormsPricing: Standard ( for home business and solopreneurs) $25 per month paid annually, Pro ( for small businesses and professional marketers) $48 per month paid annually and advanced ( for marketing teams and agencies) $199 per month paid annually.22. Optimizely (Transform your customer experience) : Optimizely will provide you the opportunity to create and personalize your business website. You need to optimize your website according to what your customers like for online marketing.Top features:Predictive AnalyticsRecommended Audience segmentsBehavioral Audience TargetingMobile Web CompatibleDeveloper ToolsCustomizable platformsMultipage testingCampaign managementGrade securityPricing: Free for 30 days. Standard Plan — basic A/B testing for startups and small companies, for professional plan — for growing businesses and premium plans for enterprise grade users. at $49 per 1000 monthly unique visitors.23. Kissmetrics (Keep and grow more customers) : Kissmetrics will help to engage your users by adding email campaign automation to your analytics platform. You can build your marketers to increase conversions, engagement and retention.Top features:Segment Data By Any Point in TimeReal Time Data MonitoringMulti and Cross Platform SupportData ExportUnlimited A/B Test ReportsNo-Limit Conversion PeriodsFree setup guidancePricing: 14 day FREE trial. There are three plans for the users: Growth $500 per month, power $850 per month and enterprise plan.SEO expert24. Google search console (Find yourself on the web): To monitor website performance in Google search engine index, Google search console has helped many web owners. You can monitor your site’s performance in Google search results and maintain your site’s presence in Google search results.Top features:Search analyticsHTML improvementsCrawl errorsFetch as GoogleSitemaps testerPricing: For all users of basic level Google search console is available for free and for large enterprise professional office suite with 30GB storage is available at Rs. 150 per user per month.25. Google analytics (Measure your advertising ROI): With google analytics you can improve engagement by 33% and click-throughs by 21% for content promotions. It also offers marketing analytics products for businesses of all sizes.Top features:E commerce trackingConversion reportingAdWordsSite searchCampaignsExcludes internal traffic through filtersSEO reports via toolsContent analyticsMobile analyticsSocial analyticsPricing: For all basic level users, Google analytics is free and for large enterprises Google analytics is free for use but you can purchase the premium version at $12500/month26. Moz (Improve your search engine optimization) : With Moz you can improve your SEO by using basic and advanced search tools. Small business use this site to attract traffic to their website and generate customers.Top features:Advanced online marketing guidesBeta access to new toolsCompetitive analysisComprehensive Q&A databaseKeyword difficultyMoz toolbarOn-Page recommendationsOpen Site ExplorerWeekly crawls and rank trackingWorld’s largest SEO communityPricing: Standard Plan — $99/month, Medium Plan — $149/month, Large Plan — $249/month and Premium — $599/month.File sharing tools27. Dropbox (Reinventing teamwork) : Dropbox is a cloud storage provider used as a file sharing service. Sharing files via Dropbox will transfer everyday workflow and entire businesses. Dropbox is a home for all your photos, docs, videos and files.Top features:Share screenshots quicklyAdd comments to filesView any file without installing extra softwareEdit microsoft office files online for freeUse selective sync to save spaceView favorite files on mobileSafety at first placeBackup all your pictures to dropboxPricing: Basic account is for FREE and standard plan is available at $12.50 / user/month and 2TB of space for secure storage, advanced plan at $20 / user/month and as much space as you need with sophisticated admin, audit and integration features.28. Google drive(Your stuff, Your way): Google drive is an online storage space for all your photos, videos, stories, designs, drawings, recordings and anything. These files in your drive can be reached from your smartphone, tablet and computer. The files you store can be shared by inviting others to view, download and collaborate on all the files you want.Top features:Voice typingResearch from Google docsTemplatesExplore in sheetsShare files between users in the organizationChange color codes to build workflowsPricing: The first 15GB of storage remain free, but 100GB now costs just $1.99 you can now get a terabyte of online storage for $9.99 a month and 10TB at $99.99 per month.29. OneDrive (Do more wherever you go): OneDrive will give you online storage that works seamlessly with tools you use everyday to create, collaborate, communicate from your device. You will have a fast,, intuitive browser experience with OneDrive that will make it easy for you to manage, upload and share files.Top features:Great mobile experienceAdvanced sharing outside your organizationSelective syncSave email attachments directly to OneDrive for businessWrite an excel surveyPricing: 5Gb of storage is available for free. Office 365 home Premium OneDrive features at $99.99 per year. Office 365 personal with premium OneDrive features at $69.99 per year. If you only want storage on OneDrive of 50GB buy for $1.99 per month and OneDrive basic 5GB is free.Software tools30. GitHub: At GitHub programmers and designers can work together to fix bugs, collaborate and contribute. GitHub has a collection of development tools and resources that you can build on to increase the efficiency and scale of your workflow.Top features:Write better codeCode reviewProject managementIntegrationsCommunity managementDocumentationCode hostingPricing: For public and open source projects, GitHub is free to use. With a paid plan, your team can work together across unlimited private repositories. For developers $7 per month, for team $9 per user per month and for business $21 per user per month .31. CodePen (Inspiration, education and sharing) : CodePen will help you to show off your latest creation and get feedback from your peers. You can test out bugs, collaborate and find new inspiration. With CodePen you can also create sets of HTML, CSS and JavaScript and display these sets on your profile, take feedback and edit them any time.Top features:Flavors of HTML, CSS and JavaScriptCollections and tagsDifferent pen viewsBloggingCommunityInspirationUnlimited privacyAsset hostingLive viewUnlimited embed themesPricing: It has FREE account available and CodePen Pro starts at just $9 per month when billed annually.Regardless of how your employees are working and where your business is leading, use these tools to make your life easier and help you and your team work more efficiently. Build a great office culture to maximize the positive attitude in workplace. If you execute your plans thoughtfully, staying productive at work will not longer be a rocket science.